Victor g



Feb. 21, 1956 AT S 2,735,219

TOY BOAT Filed Sept. 25, 1955 VICTOR G. GATES,

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEK United States Patent TOY BOAT Victor Genez Gates, SantaMonica, Calif.

Application September 23, 1955, Serial No. 536,139

8 Claims. (CI. 46-95) This invention relates to toys, and has as itsgeneral object to provide an inexpensive toy boat with a simple,inexpensive jet propulsion mechanism utilizing an inflatable bladder,such as a toy balloon, for motive power.

While I do not claim broadly the concept of thus utilizing an elasticbladder for effecting jet propulsion of a toy boat, the inventionprovides improvements in mechanism for inflating the bladder and thencontrolling the discharge of air therefrom so as to attain a jetpropulsion effect, wherein a very simple and inexpensive valve mechanismis utilized. Specifically, the invention contemplates constructionwherein a two-way air tube is attached to the neck of the bladder and isprovided with one or more jet exhaust nozzles and with a simple valvedevice in the form of a tubular mouthpiece slidable within the maintube.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications andappended drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side view of a toy boat embodying my invention, with partsbroken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the tube andvalve structure;

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a rear end view of a tube and jet assembly embodying a modifiedform of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a modified form of thedischarge tube assembly.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, as an example of one form in which the invention may beembodied, a toy boat and propuision mechanism including a boat hull 1,which may be of molded plastic material or the like. Mounted in the rearend of the hull 1 and projecting outwardly therefrom is a tubesupporting bracket 2 which may be of hairpin form as shown, with armsmolded into the hull 1, and with a circular loop at its upper end.Mounted in this circular loop portion of bracket 2 is an air tube 3 tothe forward end of which is secured an inflatable, elastic bladder 4which is preferably of high-stretch India rubber or latex film such asis utilized in toy balloons. The neck of the bladder is stretched arounda head 5 on the forward end of air tube 3, whereby the bladder is firmlyattached to the air tube.

A pair of jet discharge tubes 6 are attached to the un derside of airtube 3 and communicate with the air passage therein, through respectiveports 7 as indicated in Fig. 2. The tubular members 3 and 6 preferablyare fabricated from plastic tubing, and the ends of jet tubes 6 may bebonded to air tube 3 by the use of a suitable bonding liquid, such as asolvent for the plastic material used. The lower ends of jet tube 6 arecurved rearwardly to provide nozzles 8.

A mouthpiece tube 9, fitting snugly within the bore of air tube 3, isslidable therein between limits determined by the engagement of a stoppin 10 with respective ends of a longitudinal slot 11 in the lower sideof tube 3. In the forward end of tube 9 is a check valve 12 of theflapper type, comprising a thin disc of highly flexible elastic materialhaving one side attached to a valve seat 13 (Fig. 2) consisting in anannular flange on the inside of tube 9.

In the forwardly projected position of mouthpiece tube 9, shown in Fig.2, the tube 9 functions as a valve to close off the port 7 of jet tube6. By thus closing port 7 and then applying the tube 9 to the mouth andblowing through it, the bladder 4 may be inflated, the check valve 12opening forwardly to permit the passage of air into the bladder.

During the inflation of the bladder, the escape of air through jet tube6 is cut off and check valve 12 automatically functions to hold withinthe bladder 4 the charge of air with which it has been inflated. Theboat may then be handled without escape of air, while it is being placedin the water. When the boat has thus been placed, the mouth tube 9 maybe drawn to its rearward limit position shown in Fig. 1, uncovering port7 so that the air may escape through jet tube 6. The forward portion ofmouthpiece tube 9 constitutes, in this respect, a portclosing valveelement and is so designated in the appended claims.

The jets issuing from nozzle 8 will propel the boat forwardly in thewater, until the bladder 4 is deflated.

The boat hull '1, as shown, may be of substantial depth, so as toreceive a substantial portion of the bladder 4 even when the latter isinflated. As the bladder decreases in diameter with discharge of airtherefrom, an increasingly greater percentage of the bladder will bedisposed within the boat hull, thus decreasing the air resistance toforward movement of the boat in the water and compensating for thedecrease in skin tension in the bladder and the resultant decrease inpower.

Fig. 5 illustrates how a single jet tube 6a, disposed in a verticalposition, may be utilized instead of the twin jet tubes 6. Otherwisethis form of the invention may be the same as the other, describedabove.

Fig. 6 illustrates how a valve 12a may be mounted in the forward end ofouter tube 3a by means of a portclosing valve cup 15 closely fitted intothe tube 3 but freely slidable therein, and having an integral valveseat 13a. The mouthpiece tube may then be a simple tube, open at bothends, and is adapted, when moved inwardly, to engage valve cup 15 andshift it to a position closing the port, against the slight yieldingresistance of a light coil spring 16. Friction between tubes 90: and 3ais suflicient to resist the spring load and maintain cup 15 in theportclosing position until tube 9a is manually retracted, when thespring 16 will be effective to return the cup 15 to the porbopeningposition shown in Fig. 6.

I claim:

1. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; an air tube attached to the rearend of the hull and extending fore and aft; an inflatable elasticbladder having a neck attached to the forward end of said air tube andresting within the hull; a jet discharge tube projecting downwardly froman intermediate portion of said air tube and having a rearwardlydirected end portion constituting a jet nozzle for discharging air intothe body of water in which the hull is floated, said air tube having aport through which said jet tube communicates with the interior thereof;a mouthpiece tube fitted snugly within said air tube and having limitedaxial sliding movement therein between a forward inflation positionwherein which it closes said port and a rearward position in which ituncovers said port for discharge of air from the bladder through saidjet tube; and a forwardly opening check valve in said mouthpiece tube,for preventing discharge of air rearwardly through said valve tube.

2. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; a bracket anchored in the rearend of said hull and projecting upwardly; an air tube mounted in saidbracket and including a forward portion projecting forwardly of saidbracket over said hull and a rearward portion projecting rearwardly fromthe hull; an inflatable elastic bladder having a neck attached to saidforwardend portion of the air tube; said air tube having a downwardlyopening port intermediate its ends, rearwardly of the rear end of thehull; a jet tube attached to said air tube around said port andcommunicating through said port with the interior of the air tube, saidjet tube having a rearwardly directed lower end portion functioning as ajet discharge nozzle; a mouthpiece tube snugly received within the rearend portion of said air tube and slidable axially therein between aforward limit position in which it closes said port to prevent escape ofair from said jet tube prior tolaunching of the boat and a rear positionin which it uncovers said port for delivery of air through the jet tube;and a forwardly opening check valve in said mouthpiece tube, forpreventing the escape of air rearwardly through the mouthpiece tube.

3. In a jet propelled toy boat, a hull; an air tube assembly anchored tothe rear end of said hull, said assembly comprising an outer tubemounted in said hull and including a forward portion projectingforwardly over said hull and a rearward portion projecting rearwardlyfrom the hull; an inflatable elastic bladder having a neck attached tosaid forward end portion of the outer tube; said outer tube having adownwardly opening port intermediate its ends, rearwardly of the rearend of the hull; a jet tube attached to said outer tube around said portand communicating through said port with the interior of the outer tube,said jet tube having a rearwardly directed lower end portion functioningas a jet discharge nozzle; a port-closing valve element; a mouthpiecetube snugly received within the rear end portion of said outer tube andslidable axially therein between a forward limit position in which itactuates said port-closing valve element to close said port to preventescape of air from said jet tube prior to launching of the boat, and arear position in which said port is uncovered for delivery of airthrough the jet tube; and a forwardly opening check valve in said airtube assembly, for preventing the escape of air rearwardly through themouthpiece tube.

4. A toy boat structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said bracket isof hairpin form including respective legs embedded in the rear endportion of the boat and including at its upper end a circular loopencircling and tightly embracing said air tube.

5. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said air tube is providedwith a longitudinal slot and said mouth- I piece tube has a pin fixedthereto and projecting radially therefrom through said slot for limitingthe movement of the valve tube.

6, A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said check valve is of theflapper type consisting in a flexible disc and a valve seat ringattached to the inner wall of one of said tubes, said disc beingattached to the forward side of said ring at one point around itscircumference.

7. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein there are two of the jettubes diverging downwardly at equal angles on the opposite sides of themedian vertical longitudinal plane of the hull.

8. A toy boat as defined in claim 3, wherein there is a single jet tubeprojecting downwardly and rearwardly in the median vertical longitudinalplane of the hull.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,624,975 Belding Jan. 13, 1953 2,643,882 Dozier June 30, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 486,019 Canada Aug. 26, 1952

